Jonalyn Woolf-Ivory, Director, Sno-Isle Libraries

The Vietnam War affected all our communities – large and small – across the entire country. Growing up in a very small community in the foothills of Whatcom County, I felt that impact first hand within my own family. As the war escalated, my mother, a World War II veteran and an active member of the local American Legion post, found herself torn between her own patriotism and the escalation of a war that she could not personally support. For my father, a disabled World War II vet, his trips to the Seattle VA Hospital brought him in close contact with young men in their early twenties returning from Vietnam. As a teenager visiting my Dad at the VA Hospital, I was impressed by the gentle and understated support he provided to his young roommates. Even though over thirty years separated my dad and these young soldiers, their combat experience bound them together.

For many residents of Snohomish and Island counties, the reading of Tim O’Brien’s The Things We Carried forged a similar connection. Just the thought provoking question of “What were you doing during the Vietnam War?” reminds each of us about a piece of our own history. Many of us growing up in the sixties were impacted by the Vietnam War, whether it was from direct involvement overseas or the experiences of a family member or close friend. As I reflect back on this time in my life, I remember the large political and philosophical division the Vietnam War created in our country that shaped our perception of our government, elected officials, and politics.

Thank you for your participation in the Big Read and your willingness to share your memories.

Jonalyn Woolf-Ivory
Director
Sno-Isle Libraries

Photos courtesy of Jonalyn Woolf-Ivory. All rights reserved.